beginners guide !

[ALp]

hello everyone,

just after some advice on kayaking out on the english channel,bognor,pagahm,selsey,whitterings area.

once choosing a suitable craft,what saftey equipment should i invest in also?ive got a bouyancey aid,

what about sonar reflectors,flairs,radios, etc etc,

i see somewhere on here that the use of an anchor was mentioned,

is it a general rule of thumb that its a fine weather pursuit,ie. calm warm conditions.

how stable are these kayaks?,as i know even on the calmest of days ,you can get the odd rogue wave off the shipping channels.

currently looking in the 2nd hand market ebay etc, ocean kayak and bic seem to be the ones ,any others?

then we have the fish finders also,extra dosh again.

sorry for the loads of questions,

ive had enough of sitting on the beach blanking,need to get out there amongst em all

what about wet suits also and i see thigh restraints were reccomended too

look forward to your hints and tips etc

just any advice on a kayak virgin.

 

cheers

ALp

[Troller]

Try this site loads of safety tips and guides:

Anglers Afloat /Kayak Fishin

 

Go to the message board and register.

 

Hope this helps

 

Dave

KFF

[SpeciMan]

Welcome Alp

 

As Troller mentioned worth looking at www.anglersafloat.co.uk too. They have a list of safety equipment on there. Also take a read at www.topkayaker.net ; lots of good articles on there too.

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We generally aim to fish in calm conditions with a settled sea and favourable tide, however conditions can change and you should be prepared (as best you can) if things take a turn for the worse.

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Sit on tops kayaks are very stable & on many you can sit comfortably side on whilst fishing. I have not found wash from boats to be much of an issue for me.

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We do use anchors, although I try to hook up to a pot buoy if there is that option. Worth becoming familiar with your kayak first with a few trips under your belt before you start to look at anchoring (same advice goes for fishing too).

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Probably worth buying a new kayak - 2nd hand prices are often not that much lower than buying new.

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Clothing wise many of us who fish year round wear dry suits or dry cags and trousers with insulating layers worn underneath. The weather has been very good recently however the water is still cold - now is not the time to wear neoprene shorties, long johns or thin neoprene wetsuits - you'd soon feel cold if you were in the water for any length of time.

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Thigh straps aren't really needed - only if you're spending extra time in the surf zone

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The cost of all the bits of pieces can add up.. recommend getting your clothing and safety gear first before looking at the fishing side of things. A fishfinder whilst useful is not essential. If I had to choose between buying a decent trolley or fishfinder first I'd go for the trolley.

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My catch rate has gone up a lot since I started kayak fishing.

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Worth using the search function on this forum. Many topics have been discussed at length.

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Good luck

[smudgertoo]

hiya ALp, I'm in Chichester and fish these areas so if you want to try out a prowler13 your more than welcome. Shall probably be out at Selsey first thing in the morning.